MUTANT METROPOLITAN CULTURE

Hylé Tapes

The Brvtalist is proud to feature a new experimental electronic label from Paris called Hylé Tapes. This cassette only label's first release was on January 15th, 2015 from JuJu, a French duo of improvised electronic music. Since that time, Hylé has put out an impressive array of both homegrown and international artists. We were immediately drawn to the label's unique roster and commitment to experimentation. We also had the privilege of speaking to the label's founder/curator and he contributed an exclusive mix made up of all Hylé artists.

We also wanted to get some more information about the label, its mission, cassette culture in France and more. Richard, head of Hylé, shared some insightful thoughts:

In philosophy, hyle ("hylé" in French) (from Ancient Greek: ὕλη) refers to matter or "stuff". The Greeks originally had no word for matter in general, as opposed to raw material suitable for some specific purpose or other, so Aristotle adapted the word for "wood" to this purpose. The idea that everything physical is made of the same basic substance holds up well under modern science, although it may be thought of more in terms of energy or matter/energy.

I started Hylé Tapes at the end of 2014. As a musician, I wanted to create a label without waiting for months (or years) to release an album. I am a fan of vinyl records, but this medium has become very expensive to produce and there are always waiting lists for vinyl pressings. Cassette is a medium derived from my childhood, the object is beautiful and easy to produce. I can make a DIY production fast enough taking into account every single detail.

France has an amazing background concerning avant-garde and experimental music. There are labels like Celebration Tapes or THRHNDRDSVNTNN that do a great job and everyone should explore their catalogs.

Hylé Tapes is quite heterogeneous but there is a guiding light - experimental electronic music.

The Brvtalist would like to thank Hylé for an incredible mix and introducing us to a whole new world of experimental artists. JuJu, Acid Fountain and TAKAHIRO MUKAI have all been in heavy rotation since their discovery. We look forward to following this label and its already impressive output. For more information please visit Facebook, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.